Blevio

An ancient center of probable Roman origin

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Blevio

On the opposite side to Cernobbio, there is Blevio. The seven cities, as they jokingly say, because it consists of seven groups of houses, seven fractions.

Among the numerous villas, the artist looks for the villa that belonged to Giuditta Pasta, the famous Norma, the rival of Maria Malibran. The villa is now owned by the Ferranti family, great-grandchildren of the famous singer. Villa Ferranti or Roccabruna belonged to the opera singer Giuditta Pasta, today it is transformed into an exclusive resort. The connection between the soprano Giuditta Pasta and the composer Vincenzo Bellini is famous. The great musician nurtured a sort of veneration for the singer. He wrote the “Norma” and the “Sonnambula” proposing to entrust the role of protagonist to her. And then another glory of the scene, Maria Taglioni, the famous dancer. Passed by Prince Troubetzkoi to the Guglielminetti family. But for those going offshore, these two villas are little different from the other winds that climb the sides of the hill on the road that leads to Torno.

Position

Blevio rises on the eastern shore of Lake Como. It is enclosed between the municipalities of Como and Torno, on the opposite bank is reflected in the towns of Cernobbio and Moltrasio. The municipality of Blevio is composed of seven hamlets, distributed from the slopes of Mount Boletto to the shores of Lake Como. The origins of the village are very ancient. Some scholars trace the first settlements back to the Iron Age, around 3500 years ago. The first official document bearing the name of Blevio dates back to 1084, a testamentary will of the Bishop of Como Reginaldo.

For centuries, Blevio has been a place to stay and vacation, as evidenced by the splendid villas scattered throughout the area. Among the prestigious residences we remember the grandiose Mylius-Cademartori remodeled by the architect Balzaretto in 1843, the eighteenth-century Calvi-Talbot. The monumental Villa De Riva, the Belvedere also known as Malpensata which housed Alessandro Manzoni.

On the path from the hamlet of Mezzovico to the chapel of the Madonna, we meet the famous Pietra Nairola. The stone is a huge boulder gland, resting horizontally on a mountain ledge. On the shores of the lake is the ancient church of Saints Gordian and Epimachus, built in the 15th century and completely rebuilt in 1762. In 1967 the new Parish church was designed, designed by Carlo Lucini, the building is located in the center of Blevio. Inside we can admire works from the ancient church, paintings attributed to the Nuvolone of the seventeenth century and of the Lombard school of the sixteenth century.

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